Meta-analysis of 34 comparative studies on conventional vs. individualized instruction (II) found most favored the latter but with small-moderate overall effect. Pacing had significant effect, with teacher-pacing more effective than student-paced learning. On average, II required less time than conventional teaching. Additional research on this…

Replies to E. A. Hanushek's questioning of the validity of meta-analysis as used by the authors in analyzing resource allocation and its effects on improving student academic performance. Statistical analysis procedures are examined. (GLR)

In program evaluation and policy analyses, utility supplants rigor as the first and most important criterion in judging literature reviews. Although R. T. Ogawa and B. Malen emphasize rigor, a utilization-focused evaluation emphasizes purpose and audience, both of which affect the conduct of a multivocal literature review. (SLD)

Reviews of multivocal literature are assessments of what can be learned from a given body of literature and assessments of the claims on which that knowledge is based. Methodological rigor is less likely to be a problem in such reviews than is lack of independent judgment. (SLD)

An analytic review of interactive videodisc instruction applied in defense training, industrial training, and higher education found that academic achievement was improved in all settings when interactive video was used. Interactive video was more effective when more interactive features were used, was less costly than other instructional methods,…

In review of 19 clinically relevant comparative outcome studies published 1978-88, short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy (STPP) was evaluated as to overall effects, differential effects, and moderating effects vis-a-vis no-treatment controls and alternative psychotherapies, respectively. Overall, STPP was superior to controls at posttreatment,…

Results obtained in a metanalysis using indirect alternative methods of computing standardized mean difference effect sizes (SMDESs) were compared with results obtained from direct calculations of SMDESs. In most cases, alternative methods yield very comparable results and are beneficial to use, especially when sample sizes are large. (SLD)

The purpose of this tutorial is to enhance the familiarity and accessibility of meta-analyses in the domains of audiology and speech-language pathology for investigating questions of treatment efficacy and treatment effectiveness. Steps to conducting a meta-analysis are explained and an example of meta-analysis using published data is included.…

The school-counseling outcome research published between 1988 and 1995 is reviewed using the comprehensive developmental guidance model as an organizing principle. Research focused more on remediation than prevention, and tentative support was found for career planning, group counseling, social skill training, and peer counseling. Implications for…

A meta-analysis of 79 studies of reading performance of low achievers with and without learning disabilities found students with the learning disabilities label performed considerably worse on reading measures. Use of timed tests greatly increased the difference in reading performance between underachievers and students with the learning…

Psychological consequences of presymptomatic DNA-testing for Huntington's disease are reviewed. Both carriers and noncarriers experience emotional reactions after disclosure of their test results; however, no long-term adverse emotional consequences have been revealed. Consequences for the family are discussed. Future research should include…

Meta-analysis of 16 studies of expatriate managers' adjustment and 25 of expatriate job performance showed that mean effect sizes were lower than in previous analyses. Cautions about basing cross-cultural training on results of such studies were expressed. (Contains 68 references.) (SK)

Explores implications for evaluation practice of using five different perspectives on organizations, drawing on the four models of social program implementation developed by R. F. Elmore (1978). It is argued that evaluation will only really be effective when its focus, methods, and management reflect realistic assumptions about how organizations…

Describes analyses based on 35 studies on effectiveness of Grief Therapy. Clients with no-treatment control groups showed little improvement, possibly because of the relatively long delay between loss and treatment. Client selection procedures appear to contribute strongly to variability in effect size (ESs). The majority of studies involving…

A meta-analysis of instructional research with students with learning disabilities in the domains of word recognition and reading comprehension indicates effect sizes for comprehension measures were higher when studies included derivatives of both cognitive and direct instruction, whereas effect sizes were higher for word recognition when studies…